New Guy with a T2i

thatguywiththecamera

thatguywiththecamera

Hi there. I felt like I should do the whole, "What's up guys, I'm new here" forum introduction, but I'm terrible at those. So let's just jump in to some camera talk.

Over the summer I bought the Canon Rebel T2i/EOS 550D.
Now, while the kit lens produces much better quality and clarity than any other camera I've owned, it just doesn't hold up to the quality of images I've seen other lenses get out of the T2i.

My question for the more experienced filmmakers on the site is this: which lenses have you had more success with, zoom lenses or prime lenses? I've been leaning more towards purchasing some prime lenses but I want to know for sure which lens works better before I actually go out and buy them.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
You can get some pretty nice prime lenses on Ebay. They'll be manual focus, but that's what you want anyhow when shooting video with a DSLR. :)

I was able to pick up a dandy 50mm/f1.4 as well as a nice 28mm/f1.8. The f1.4 was around $60 (It's a Super Takumar, which I've seen range from $50 to $150 or so). The wider lens was much cheaper.

My preference was to get all M42 style mounts. Then I just got a $12 M42-to-EOS adapter.*

Keep the crop factor in mind. You may already know, but that 50mm - while giving you nice shallow DOF - will feel like more of a telephoto lens. (For this reason I purchased a Sigma 30mm/f1.4 - designed for APS-C. It's a great lens, though I wouldn't call it cheap.)

Hope this helps!



* I would try and avoid using Canon FD-mount lenses with EOS cameras, as they will require an optical adapter between the lens and the camera body. I do have one of these as I have some FD lenses... but I can tell you that C.A. / color fringing is evident at the edges. The M42-to-EOS is simply a piece of metal that provides the right backfocal distance between the lens and camera plane.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Welcome!

The Canon 50mm f/1.8 is definitely a very good place to start your lens collection. Cheap and sharp optics, if not the best build quality.

You said that the kit lens "just doesn't hold up to the quality of images I've seen other lenses get out of the T2i," which does have a fair bit of truth in it, and while the glass in a setup does have a massive effect on quality, it also comes down to what you're shooting and the skill of the operator. Roger Deakins or David Mullen could eke far more exquisite images out of a 550D and the kit lens then I could with a set of Zeiss Compact Primes.

Remember that you'll also probably be looking at images that have had hours spent on them a post - while the mantra "garbage in, garbage out" is still as true as ever, even a not-so-good colour grader (like me) can make a decent image shine. I posted this Kilver Court Gardens in another thread the other day, and it's a great example of what the kit lens can do with well-composed shots, a little bit of colour correction and nice natural light.

All of that said… you will want to use more than just the kit lens. It is a very nice little lens, with a good focal range on the 550D, but if you're not shooting in a daylight exterior or brightly lit room it's often not fast enough. If you're not familiar with the term "speed" when talking about lenses (I'm sorry if you are, but someone else might find it useful), it refers to how much light a lens lets in - the faster the lens, the more light. Two figures are given when talking about lenses - the focal length (in mm) and the f-stop. The larger the focal length, the more "zoomed-in" the lens is, and the smaller the f-stop the faster it is.

Now we've got that out the way, let's move on to primes v zooms. Basically, primes are usually faster than zooms that can do the same focal length, cheaper than zoom lenses of the same f-stop, and generally have sharper optics as they don't need as many glass elements. BUT - they don't offer you the same flexibility as a zoom lens does when shooting things that are unscripted or just a little more loose in style. If you're planning to do documentary work or improvisational drama then zooms may be a better choice, but when doing conventional drama and music videos, the time it takes to change a lens doesn't really delay things.

If you want fast lenses but don't want to spend a lot of money, go for primes. If you want more flexibility and aren't bothered about speed, get a zoom or two. If you want flexibility and fast lenses, empty your wallet and get a mixture!

Finally, I've gone (for the time being) the very cheap route, and am buying some gorgeous vintage primes off eBay for a fraction of the price of their modern equivalents. I love the look of them (though it isn't for everyone), but they do have their downsides, mainly no aperture (f-stop) control from the camera (you have to use a ring on the lens), and no autofocus for stills photography, but I think it's worth the sacrifice for the cost and look of them.

I've rambled on for far too long - best of luck!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I love the primes I've used with my 7D. The only zooms I've used that are worth their merit are the Canon L Series.

If you're shooting mostly dialogue, try the 50 or 85 mm prime. If you're doing more action motion stuff try the 28mm or 24 1.4.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I am also looking into a Rebel T2i. Since a lot of what I do involves action, I am a bit concerned about the jello/rolling shutter effect. Does the lens type make any difference for this issue?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
PaulGriffith said:
I love the primes I've used with my 7D. The only zooms I've used that are worth their merit are the Canon L Series.

If you're shooting mostly dialogue, try the 50 or 85 mm prime. If you're doing more action motion stuff try the 28mm or 24 1.4.
Click to expand...
They're lovely, but expensive as 'L :) Been lucky enough to play with quite a few for shooting stills, but haven't had a chance with video yet. The 50mm lenses are great price wise, but even for dialogue I think I'd want something wider than that on a crop sensor.

AgentJonnyB said:
I am also looking into a Rebel T2i. Since a lot of what I do involves action, I am a bit concerned about the jello/rolling shutter effect. Does the lens type make any difference for this issue?
Click to expand...
Theoretically, the lens shouldn't alter the jello effect, as it's all to do with the sensor. In practice… I'm not really sure, but given that longer focal lengths amplify camera movement it might look worse on longer lenses - but that might not be much of an issue if you're using wider lenses for action stuff. Maybe I've just become accustomed to it, but I don't think the jello effect is as bad as some people think it is, and even cameras many many times more expensive (like the RED One) have the same problem.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
thatguywiththecamera said:
I was considering that, but how do I know which lenses will and will not fit the T2i?
Click to expand...

There's a very good guide by Bob Atkins about which manual lenses fit EOS cameras - you want to go for ones that won't need optical adapters, as they'll degrade image quality and lose you a bit of light. I've only gone for M42 mount lenses so far, and a quick search of "m42 50mm" for example on eBay will give you loads of choices. Read up a bit before you buy anything, to see what kind of price is normal - there are a few fantastically detailed posts on another site with loads of recommendations, but due to the forum rules I'm not allowed to link to them here :hmm: PM me if you want the links :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top